The subject invention relates to a new and improved female electrical connector or shorting jack for use in reduced pin grid applications. More particularly, a connector is provided including a contact member having a dumbbell-shaped configuration which enables a redundant electrical interconnection to be established between the contact pin members. In a preferred embodiment of the subject invention, the connector is configured to be utilized with pin grids of different sizes.
In many electrical devices, circuitry is provided on a planar substrate, such as a circuit board, which includes a plurality of upstanding pins disposed in parallel arrays forming a grid. In certain applications, it is necessary to provide a means for readily interconnecting or shorting adjacent pin members of the grid. For example, in telephone switching systems, incoming and outgoing lines must be electrically bridged in order to create the desired electrical pathway.
A variety of female electrical connectors or shorting jacks have been developed in the prior art. One such shorting jack can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,308, assigned to the same assignee as the subject invention, which issued on Feb. 26, 1980 Iantorno, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. The shorting jack which is disclosed in the above identified application, provides for a unique electrical connector which is relatively simple in construction, and has a "reduced insertion force" capability. Briefly, this capability is achieved by placing a continuous electrical contact member about a central hub extending between a pair of opposed cover members. The dimensions of the contact member are such that the opposed edges thereof are spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between the spaced apart pin members of the grid. By this arrangement, when the connector is mounted on the pins, the pin members resist the downward pushing action such that the central hub exerts a downward force on the radially inner lead portion of the contact member thereby effecting an elongation of the contact. This elongation of the contact causes a reduction in the force required to push the connector over the pins. When the connector is fully mounted onto the pins, the hub member ceases to exert a force on the contact member, which permits the contact to revert towards its original position, thereby achieving a secure interference fit and electrical interconnection between the pins and the contact.
The cooperation between the floating contact and the central hub to achieve a reduced insertion force capability provides an improvement over the prior art. With the ever increasing drive towards miniaturization, circuit boards have been recently designed wherein the spacing between the center line of adjacent pins has been reduced to 0.100 of an inch, which are commonly referred to as grids with 0.100 inch centers. Female electrical connectors may be designed for these reduced grids by scaling down the dimensions of the connectors disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,308. These scaled down versions, while functional, are difficult to produce. More specifically, in order to maintain the necessary resilience and spring-like qualities of a reduced diameter inner contact, it is necessary to also reduce its thickness. It has been found that production of a thin contact is relatively difficult particularly in the initial fabrication and deburring steps, and in handling. In addition, using a reduced diameter circular contact results in the make points (contact areas) being spaced further from the pin receiving apertures.
Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved electrical connector which is provided with "reduced insertion force" capabilities, while circumventing the difficulties of fabricating a reduced diameter and thickness contact made according to the prior art.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved female electrical connector for use with reduced pin grid applications which includes a dumbbell-shaped contact member which may be produced by deforming a prior art circular contact such that manufacturing costs are substantially reduced.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved female electrical connector for reduced pin grid applications which is capable of achieving a redundant electrical contact between each pin member of a grid and the electrical contact therein.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved female electrical connector which includes a rectangular housing having two pairs of pin receiving apertures, each pair being spaced apart a different distance enabling a single connector to be used in pin grid applications of various sizes.